ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® honored Internet
pioneer and Revolution Chairman and CEO Steve Case along with U.S.
Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) for their instrumental roles in
supporting and advancing technology innovation at CEA’s 11th
annual Digital
Patriots Dinner held Tuesday night, April 14 in Washington, D.C.
The Digital Patriots Dinner kicked off a week of exciting technology
policy events in D.C., aimed at showcasing the importance of innovation
to members of Congress and the D.C. tech policy community. Other event
highlights included CEA’s Lobby Day to advocate for pro-innovation
policies, and CES on the Hill, a technology exhibit that brought the
excitement of the CEA-owned and produced International
CES® to the nation’s capital.

Steve Case accepted his Digital Patriots award after Shapiro noted both
his crucial role in creating AOL, one of the great American success
stories, as well as his many contributions to entrepreneurship by
supporting pro- innovation public policy and entrepreneurship across
America. “Entrepreneurs are alive and well all across the country,” Case
noted as he accepted his award. “We need to develop more strategic
partnerships to move ideas forward and engage with governments. We are
now in the third wave of technology, where the Internet is integrating
seamlessly into all aspects of our lives, from education to healthcare.”

U.S. Congressman Bob Goodlatte was recognized as a Digital Patriot for
his long-standing leadership in Congress on intellectual property,
patent reform and technology issues. During his acceptance remarks,
Goodlatte noted the importance of entrepreneurial freedom. “We need to
make sure the judicial system is fair to innovators, which is why I
introduced patent reform legislation,” he said. “We need real
immigration reform. This country is a leader in innovation. Folks come
here to this place that rewards creativity. I am working to make the
SKILLS Visa Act move thru Congress this session.”

CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro kicked off the Digital Patriots
Dinner with opening remarks reminding technology developers that Members
of Congress need to hear their stories and learn about the latest
innovations. Shapiro also announced the results of CEA’s inaugural
Innovation Scorecard, a report that evaluates and ranks states’
innovation friendliness in ten areas. States recognized for leading the
country as Innovation Champions include Delaware, Washington, D.C.,
Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas,
Utah and Virginia. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and North Carolina
Governor Pat McCrory were both on hand to represent their states. The
two jokingly advocated for their state as the most innovation friendly.
“We get it in Virginia,” McAuliffe said. “Virginia is for tech lovers.
We have great tax benefits for businesses and one out of ten in our
workforce works in the technology space.”

More information about the Innovation Scorecard, criteria used for
scoring and the 2015 champions is available online.

As sponsors of the Digital Patriots Dinner, Audi,
MakerBot,
Parrotand Volkswagendemonstrated their newest and most innovative technologies that
included electric vehicles, 3D printers and drones.

Highlight videos of the 2015 Digital Patriot honorees can be found here.
Check out a recap video of the event here.
All proceeds from the Digital Patriots Dinner are being donated to Girls
Who Code and the CEA
Foundation.

This week’s activities also included a Lobby Day on Wednesday morning
where representatives from CEA’s Board of Industry Leaders, Small
Business Council and Automotive Electronics Division Board advocated for
the U.S. House of Representatives to pass strong patent litigation
reform and trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation. The week’s
events concluded with CES
on the Hill which took place on Wednesday evening at the Rayburn
House Office Building. More than 500 attendees, including 30 members of
Congress, learned about the latest consumer technologies and products
from companies at the center of some of the most critical, current
technology policy debates.

CES on the Hill exhibitor products and technologies are highlighted in
this video.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the technology trade
association representing the $286 billion U.S. consumer electronics
industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA
membership, including legislative and regulatory advocacy, market
research, technical training and education, industry promotion,
standards development and the fostering of business and strategic
relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The
Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into
CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at CE.org,
InnovationMovement.com
and through social media: http://www.ce.org/social